Fashion Diary: Anthropologie plays Koi

Gossip, first impressions, trends-in-the-making, celebrities and style setters. A regular feature by fashion critic Booth Moore.

With all the highly publicized designer collaborations in retail right now (Matthew Williamson for H&M, Kate Moss for TopShop, Tracy Feith for Target and on and on), it's been interesting to watch Anthropologie's more quiet approach to the trend. In the past, the retailer has worked with Anna Sui and Rachel Comey, among others, but always without fanfare, with most designers creating lines under different names.

Now L.A. seems to be on Anthropologie's radar like never before. Jeweler Sonia Boyajian has designed a few pieces, including the adorable $98 “Flutter Fly” necklace here. And when I stopped by Koi Suwannagate’s studio earlier this week, she told me she will be launching a collection of knits for the retailer this fall.

Boyajian's name is mentioned in the description of the item online, but that's it. "We trust our customer will recognize the extraordinary pieces on her own," says company spokeswoman Sara Goodstein. "We believe she would be disappointed if she believed we pursued collaborations solely for the purpose of PR."

NY Fashion Week: Skin is in

Hurricane Hanna hit New York on Saturday, the rain came in sheets, and still the glossy editors wore their stiletto sandals and booties, God bless 'em. Me, I wore my Havaiana flip-flops and almost lost one when I stepped into a puddle up to my ankles trying to steal a cab ahead of the teetering flock on the corner of 21st and 10th Avenue.

Luckily, trucking around in the soggy weather was worth it. The shows have been good, and from the handful I have seen, it seems to be all about the body for spring. Maybe it’s the Olympics, or fashion's
never-ending love affair with the 1980s, but skin is in; skirts are short and tight.

Up-and-comer Alexander Wang has got the look down like nobody else. His show was in a garage-like space with concrete floors that his helpers sprinkled with water to create that hot and sweaty after-a-night-of-partying vibe. They needn’t have bothered. We could have all just shaken out our umbrellas.

Wang's collection was raunchy and fun -- an awesome mishmash of sportswear and the street, with a touch of "Miami Vice" in the form of neon pinks and aqua blues. Crockett and Tubbs ARE due for a fashion comeback. And I loved the quote he put in his show notes: “Anyone can get all dressed up and glamorous, but it is how people dress for their off days that is the most intriguing.”